Officials urge motorists to be cautious as buses return
By From staff reports
Published in News on August 30, 2017 5:50 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Students board the buses at Eastern Wayne Elementary School Tuesday on their second day of school. The North Carolina Highway Patrol has recently released a statement about school bus safety and laws for drivers around school zones.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Children prepare to get on their bus at Eastern Wayne Elementary School Tuesday afternoon.
This graphic released by the North Carolina Department of Transportation shows the proper driving safety measures when stopping for a school bus.
Law enforcement and local school officials are urging motorists to be more cautious as school buses are back on the road now that the 2017-18 school year is underway.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol says drivers should familiarize themselves with where school buses make stops.
Wayne County Public Schools spokesperson Ken Derksen said people should allow themselves plenty of extra time for their morning and afternoon commutes to budget for school buses stopping for pick-ups and drop-offs.
Derksen said peak times for school buses to be on the road are between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
During this time, approximately 80 percent of the school system's buses are on the road, picking up and dropping off children.
Derksen said the school system has approximately 190 buses on the road from its fleet as of now.
State law requires drivers to stop for any school bus that has its flashing red lights and stop sign deployed, and is picking up or dropping off passengers.
"Ensuring the safety of students as they travel to and from school is a responsibility shared by everyone", said Col. Glenn McNeill Jr., commander of the N.C. State Highway Patrol. "Our mission is to educate the motoring public on safe driving behaviors before, during and after school."
State troopers will monitor bus routes as school gets back in session, making sure drivers follow the law.
Officials also encourage students to be on the lookout for traffic when boarding or leaving a bus.
Drivers can expect commutes through school zones to take longer than normal during peak bus travel hours.